


Severus Snape and the Reluctant Soulmate

by drwritermom



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Implied Mpreg, M/M, Secret Snarry Swap 2020, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28070577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drwritermom/pseuds/drwritermom
Summary: Severus Snape is Harry Potter’s soulmate.  Harry refuses to let his super-secret beloved be bound by the constraints of the Fates, and avoids Snape like the plague, while Snape seeks Harry out, wanting nothing more than to finalize their bond. Something’s got to give.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Comments: 10
Kudos: 144
Collections: Harry y Severus, Secret Snarry Swap20





	Severus Snape and the Reluctant Soulmate

**Author's Note:**

> My apologies to my gift recipient, as my muse was very insistent that this was direction I should take your prompt. There is plenty of fluff. JKR owns the behemoth known as the Potterverse, I am just playing with the characters dwelling within. In this iteration of the HP universe, soulmate bonds between pairs with an age difference are protection based until the younger of the pair is eighteen, in accordance with the Muggle age of maturity. A heartfelt thanks to our gracious Swap hosts and to badgerlady, our Swap beta.
> 
> Prompt: No. 41 from **nmk0144** : Snape forces Harry to bond with him. Harry is secretly pleased.

Chapter One - The Back Story

It was at the moment of his deepest humiliation and regret that Severus Tobias Snape had learned that the Fates had blessed him with a soulmate.

Albus Dumbledore had ordered the potions master to accompany him to Godric’s Hollow, so that he, Severus Snape. could explain to the Potters why they had to be placed under Fidelius and how his eavesdropping on Trelawney’s interview, thus hearing an incomplete prophecy and bringing it back to the Dark Lord, had caused said megalomaniac to target the Potters. Voldemort was convinced that the child of the prophecy was the unborn Harry. He even confessed that he only turned to Dumbledore to beg for Lily’s protection, when he realized that the Dark Lord would spare no one in his mission to kill the yet-to-be-born Potter heir.

Snape broke with his hardened exterior and shed many a tear as he apologized to Lily and James. It was this total lack of animosity, and the obvious heartbreak of a broken man, that led James to both believe, and forgive, his childhood enemy. As James shook Severus’s hand, Harry produced a burst of wild magic, casting a dancing cauldron over Lily’s baby bump. Harry was quite active, indeed, that baby bump seemed to vibrate with excitement. Severus felt an irresistible urge to soothe the restless child, and placed his hand gently on Lily’s restless gravid abdomen. Harry calmed immediately, and all four adults present felt a gentle wave of soothing magic. They all realized the presence of a powerful soulmate bond.

Given Snape’s precarious position as newly-minted spy for the Light, the knowledge of his and Harry’s soulmate status, and his reconciliation with the Potters, were locked by a time-triggered Obliviate, which would deactivate upon Harry’s 18th birthday. This was to prevent the personification of evil from determining their status, protecting them from what would surely be painful and protracted deaths. These obliviated memories allowed Snape, after the Potters’ murders, to only grudgingly agreed to protect Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Only Dumbledore knew that the bond would still compel him to protect the boy, but he would never reveal this bond to Severus, until well after Albus’s death.

Chapter Two - 1 September 1998, the Welcoming Feast

The still slightly stunned-to-actually-be-there Hogwarts student body, fresh from the Sorting ceremony, were chattering amongst themselves, when the were silenced by the arrival of the Golden Trio, as well as their plus three, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Draco Malfoy. All six had labored tirelessly during the restoration of the castle, and had helped implement an ambitious plan to promote inter-House harmony and cooperation. As the students approached their respective tables, Severus Snape, still Headmaster, swayed where he stood, as a jolt of pure magical energy danced across his chest. Harry Potter was likewise affected, staggering to his seat as a simultaneous pulse of magic disseminated over his chest, settling over his heart. Unbeknownst to both, the magical pulses had activated their soul marks, directly over their hearts.

Additionally, for the Headmaster, Harry’s arrival unlocked the long-ago Obliviated memories, flooding his consciousness and causing him to stumble back from the Headmasters lectern into his throne-like chair at the Head Table. “Please, Minerva, deliver the Welcoming Address, I find myself unable to do so,” he gasped, as he slumped in his chair.

Gently, yet inconspicuously squeezing his shoulder as she approached the podium, McGonagall did what was requested, as Severus caught the gaze of an equally discombobulated Harry Potter. Upon noticing Snape’s slightly unfocused, yet still effectively intense scrutiny, Harry blushed a shade of crimson the likes of which was only ever seen sported by mature phoenixes, and averted his gaze.

Hermione Granger silently observed the two men, and came to the correct conclusion. Having finally learned that sometimes, silence was far wiser than an outright declaration of her observation, she said nothing. Harry, the brother of her heart, would reveal the existence of his newly-discovered soul bond when he was ready, and not a moment before.

By the lucky coincidence that two very clever witches decided not to comment about was blindly obvious to said witches, Severus and Harry were able to muddle through the Opening Feast, and then leave the Great Hall undisturbed.

As the doors to his private chambers closed behind him, the Headmaster stripped to the waist in front of his full-length mirror. He gazed, in awe, at the soul mark that had appeared. Soaring through the air on his trusty Firebolt was a miniature Harry Potter, playing a game of keep-away with a fiery, crimson Phoenix. They were in constant motion. Severus was enchanted.

Likewise, locked into his single room, Harry Potter was awestruck over his soul mark, a miniature Severus Snape, gracefully poised over his dancing cauldron, stirring widdershins, with equally enchanting golden colored Felix Felicis bubbles escaping and bursting over the cauldron. Fawkes’s perch could be seen at the far left border of the soul mark.

Harry had known that soulmates existed. He also knew, although he had disclosed this to no one, that he loved Severus Snape. After viewing the man’s near death memories, he appreciated all of the sacrifices Snape had made to save Harry from assassination, and the Wizarding world as a whole, from a narcissistic megalomaniac with a penchant for torture and the goal of widespread genocide. He slowly realized he loved the man as he tended to the wounded, comatose hero under the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey.

Harry had been testifying at a dizzying number of Death Eater trials, including Snape’s, the summer before he returned to Hogwarts, the upshot being that the last trial, that of the Malfoys, was on September first. Neville, Ginny and Luna were testifying as character witnesses for Draco and Narcissa, who were spies for the Light while Voldemort was entrenched in Malfoy Manor.

No returning Hogwarts students were advanced to the next grade/year. This left Hogwarts with two first form classes, and all the upper forms one year older than the class year they were repeating. Lady Hogwarts, in her wisdom, provided an extra dorm for the new firsties. The two first year classes would be taught separately, in respect of the older first years. The eighteen year olds, aka the seventh years, were given their own rooms in another new dorm near the Main Entrance, to allow them to come and go as they pleased, as long as they attended classes, respected their professors, and abstained from alcohol during the school week, and while inside the castle. The previous seventh year dorms were outfitted with desks and bookshelves, as well as some comfy chairs, and were to be used for quiet study by all years.

All of this explains the brave new, yet still old world that the student body encountered that eventful day. It also explains why Harry’s soul mark had not activated until he had returned to Hogwarts, when he was finally close enough to his soulmate, for the mark to activate.

Finding his soulmate should have been a joyous time. Knowing the Fates had found the witch or wizard whose magic, soul-deep convictions, emotions and dreams were totally compatible with his should have been a source of immense happiness and contentment. On a primal level, the knowledge did just that; however, the idea that Snape’s future would, yet again, be dictated by a brand upon his skin sickened Harry. He was determined that Snape, as beloved as he was, deserved to live a life that was free from outside influence, rather than chosen by Fate’s fickle hand.

The fatal flaw in Harry’s logic was that Severus Snape had gladly accepted the bond, back before Harry was even born. Despite the obliviation of the memory of his soulmate recognition, the faint hope that he and Harry would ultimately defeat Voldemort, and would both survive the war, was provided by the quiescent bond. And now that the bond had reawakened, Severus was looking forward to getting to know Harry better.

Chapter Three - Avoidance

Harry Potter, who was consumed with love for Severus Snape, and the longing for emotional intimacy he was finding hard to control, was warring with the equally heartfelt conviction that the proper way to honor his soulmate was from afar, thus allowing the newly exonerated wizard to settle down with the witch or wizard of his choosing, while Harry stayed the Hades out of it, suffering in silence. But oh, how much he longed for him.

It was almost comical, the dodging and weaving occurring between the Headmaster, who was determined to hand-deliver a formal courting request to his wily soulmate, while Harry was steadfastly avoiding close contact of any kind, by donning his Invisiblity Cloak and high-tailing it to the nearest abandoned classroom, at the mere sighting of his un-unrequited love.

Endless weeks of such shenanigans had Hermione and Minerva in a tizzy. They decided that the entertainment to be gained by watching those two nerdy heroes in love was outweighed by the ratcheting tension inherent in the non-completion of their bond. After bringing Ron Weasley into their confidence, they devised a plan to bring the eager Potions master to the reluctant, self-sacrificing to a fault “no longer a Boy, very much a MAN” Hero Who Lived.

One crisp, sunny October Day, as Harry was thoroughly enjoying a ride with the newly rechristened Buckbeak (Witherwings was a totally unsuitable name for such a proud, majestic beast), Ronald Weasley gained entry to Harry’s school trunk, extracting the Marauder’s Map and placing a mild Confundus on the trunk, only activated when Harry searched for the map. The map was delivered to McGonagall by morning owl post, after Ron had transfigured it into a _Daily Prophet_.

McGonagall, after wordlessly charming the map to only reveal the whereabouts of Harry and those immediately in his vicinity, passed the map to Snape.

Thus we find Severus Snape, silently trailing an Invisibility Cloaked Harry Potter, to the graveyard in Godric’s Hollow on Halloween night. Years of spying made it possible for Snape to follow Harry without him being any the wiser. Snape watched, in silent reverence, as Harry decloaked, and laid his tokens of affection at his parents’ headstones. As Harry began to weep, Severus emerged from the shadows, opening his arms to Harry. Harry did not hesitate, he walked straight into his soulmate’s warm embrace.

“Oh, my precious Harry,” Snape murmured into the downy soft mane of his lion, who himself was sobbing into the toasty warmth of Severus’s cloak. Severus gently rocked them back and forth, holding Harry close in a loving hug and exuding comforting waves of magic, which blanketed Harry in security, acceptance, and most important, unconditional love.

Our boys returned to the castle when Harry and Severus’s stomachs rumbled in unison. Snape Apparated them smack dab in the middle of the kitchens, where Severus had asked Kreacher and Winky to await his return. Upon arrival, the two elves, happy and honored to be serving two such brave and loyal soulmates, had a tastefully understated dinner of their favorite light dishes waiting for them. (Tapas: they were developed by house elves long before the Muggles caught on, but I digress.)

Severus spoke first. “Harry, you have been trying your level best to avoid me at every turn. Why have you thwarted my every effort to speak with you privately?”

“Severus - I suppose I should call you Severus, now that I have sobbed on your very comfy cloak-”

“Soul bonds elicit powerful emotions from wizards like us, who possess such passionate souls. And please feel free to use my given name, it warms my soul to hear you say it.”

“Severus, how did you find me? I was under the Invisibility Cloak until I laid down the gifts for my mum and dad.”

“Oh Harry, I must admit, after Minerva and the two other members of the Golden Trio witnessed the rather comical, though surprisingly effective lengths to which you were willing to go to avoid all meaningful interaction between the two of us, they conspired to get us together, by any means possible. I assume you recognize this ‘spare bit of parchment,’ “Snape chuckled as he passed the map to Harry.

“Holy Merlin! It didn’t insult you, did it?”

“It could have insulted my entire maternal lineage, and I would not have cared, as long as it delivered me to you,” Snape murmured, taking Harry’s hands into his own. “You never asked why I wished to speak with you, Harry. I wish to court you properly.”

“I panicked when I saw your mark upon me. I desire and love you, but feared you would despise another man’s mark on your skin. I couldn’t allow you to have your choices ripped from you when you were finally free!”

“My Harry, do you not know that soulmates are rare, and the bond they share are a gift from Lady Magic herself? Our bond initially activated before you were born. It was decided by Albus and your father, that Obliviating any knowledge of this bond was the only way to keep us safe, or as safe as two wizards can be, with a power-hungry megalomaniac on the loose.”

“But your treatment of me as a student, all that anger and bitterness, that was real!”

“Being the Dark Lord’s whipping boy takes a toll, Harry. And you had children of loyal Death Eaters in your classes. I could not be seen as favoring you, even as I was surreptitiously protecting you at every turn.”

“Were you protecting me solely for my mother?”

“I did it for you, only for you. Even with a blocked bond, I knew you were of tremendous importance to me. Multiple detentions allowed me to keep a watchful eye on you. And I can’t prove this, but I think a tiny sliver of the bond allowed me to believe we could survive the war and that you were vital to my future.”

“What do we do now?” whispered Harry.

Chapter Three - After the Map/Aftermath

“May I kiss you, Harry?”

Harry left his seat, prompting Severus to do the same. Harry walked up to Severus, staring deeply into his fathomless, dark chocolate eyes while standing on the tips of his toes. Tenderly and reverently, Severus framed Harry’s face with his slightly roughened palms, while bending down to meet his cherry red lips. Their kiss was gentle, but the rush of magic ignited by the lightest touch of their joined lips was as intense as it was intimate, decisively communicating the soul-deep connection they shared. 

These pulsing waves of compatible magic triggered several healing pulses throughout the castle. The still scarred portions of the castle were repaired. Lingering anxieties of the staff and student body, carry-overs from a vicious war, were cleansed from the castle’s charges. And Severus and Harry, the two soulmate heroes, were granted the knowledge that they were meant for, and belonged to, each other. Lady Magic also allowed the two men the blessing of knowing Harry’s parents supported their union. And that during Lily’s seventh year, she had divined that she would eventually bear her childhood friend’s soulmate.

As the magic pulses emanating from the two wizards subsided, Harry and Severus were surprised one last time by Lady Magic. The phoenix in Snape’s soul mark translocated from under his shirt, and appeared as a searing light, before Fawkes himself materialized before them. He rose above them, waiting patiently for the two wizards to grab hold of his tail. In a flamboyant flash, the two were deposited in front of Albus Dumbledore’s portrait.

“Ah, my boys, I see that you have finally acknowledged your bond...”

“Potter can be incredibly difficult to corner, but a certain map helped me to locate him.”

“Ah, yes, the Marauder’s Map. Minerva has replicated it, but is allowing you to keep the original, Harry. She believes, as do I, that you need a reliable means of escape to escape your more enthusiastic fans.”

“I do have one more bit of information to impart, my boys. The powerful wave your bond released has performed a spontaneous, legally binding, bonding. Congratulations, you are now bonded husbands.”

The two wizards groaned in unison, not at their marital status, but at the wrath of Molly Weasley, who lost her chance to plan their bonding ceremony. Leave it to portrait Dumbledore to save them from a scathing Howler.

“Might I suggest that you allow her the pleasure of planning a Yuletide ball, in conjunction with the Hogwarts elves, who hold you in the same deep regard as I do.”

The two soulmates approved Albus’s brilliant plan, wasting no time in Flooing Molly Weasley to get the preparations underway for the joint Yuletide Ball and bonding reception. 

As the two husbands left the ball, happy and well-fed, Fawkes appeared in the Great Hall’s vestibule, whisking our heroes away to a gorgeous, sun-drenched beachside bungalow. This idyllic setting proved the perfect place for their bond to nurture the beginnings of a precious new life. 

Thus, when the next Welcoming Feast commenced, Severus and Harry found it fitting that their precious daughter arrived as Minerva welcomed the incoming students to the Potter-Snapes’ beloved home.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment here or at [LiveJournal](https://snape-potter.livejournal.com/3930816.html), [Insanejournal](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/snape_potter/1855876.html), or [Dreamwidth](https://snape-potter.dreamwidth.org/1191617.html).


End file.
